Sunday, November 21, 2010

Reflections: Human Target 2.01 "Ilsa Pucci"

Good to have you back, Human Target. There aren't a lot of shows on television that do what you do best.

The season two premiere was a welcome return for the show that no one watched last season. The cliffhanger from the season one finale wraps up quickly, but I'm willing to accept that in exchange for two new characters and a shift in character arcs that will definitely be for the better.

The episode is about Ilsa Pucci, and so to the extent that she is a) interesting and b) useful, the episode does a good job of establishing her within Chance's world. This comes at the expense of the other new character, Ames, who gets only brief moments of character-building with Guerrero (whom she knows by name) and Winston (who arrested her five times when he was a cop). I don't expect that to last; at the same time, just these tiny mentions of her character's history makes Ames my favorite part of the episode.

Matt Miller was definitely the right man to take over this show. His experience on Chuck can help him maintain the show's action-movie style and pacing while simultaneously bringing in more solid character development. I am sad to see McCreary leave the show (and frankly, the new title theme isn't nearly as catchy as McCreary's verison -- why the unnecessary guitars?) but Chuck composer Tim Jones underscores the moments just right, making a smooth transition from McCreary's awesome themes.

Most of all, I'm just happy to be watching Human Target again. It's an incredibly fun action show with a great cast and fantastic visual flair. I enjoyed this week's episode, as I'm sure I will enjoy this season, for however long it lasts. (Let's hope the American Idol numbers mid-season give it a shot at season three!)